American Hustle director David O. Russell has issued an apology today, after quotes in which he comparedJennifer Lawrence's The Hunger Games filming schedule to slavery surfaced on the web last night.

The statements, in case you missed them, were made at the Australian Academy’s AACTA Awards in LA to the New York Daily News' Confidenti@l: "I personally think they should give her a bit of breathing room over there because they’re printing money...but she’s a very alive person," he said. "I’ll tell you what it is about that girl — talk about 12 years of slavery, that’s what the franchise is. And I’m going to get in so much trouble for saying that."